OTTAWA — Canada's federal industry minister said he's taking action to ensure riders on Toronto's transit system have wireless coverage as soon as possible.
François-Philippe Champagne is directing his department to launch an expedited consultation process to revise the licences of the four major carriers to ensure all TTC riders have coverage as soon as technically feasible, the minister said in a press release late Monday afternoon.
The action comes after what Champagne said is limited progress between Canada's major telecoms carriers on reaching an agreement to provide wireless service on the TTC subway system.
Such an agreement has been a point of contention ever since Rogers bought the company that had been providing wireless on the subway, which only had a deal with Freedom Mobile for wireless coverage.
Rogers has pledged to work with its rivals and make the upgraded system accessible for other mobile carriers to use.
However, Bell and Telus have been pushing back against the company's plans, arguing instead for a consortium model.
Rogers has proposed a framework to get a deal done by this summer and offered to give Bell and Telus access to the network by early fall if they couldn't reach commercial terms, spokesman Cam Gordon said in an email Monday. He said Bell and Telus did not accept the offer.
"We committed from the outset to work with all carriers to join the network in a timely way while prioritizing safety," he said.
Rogers will participate in the consultation while it continues to work with the TTC to upgrade the existing network, said Gordon.
Bell spokeswoman Jacqueline Michelis said in an email that it, too, would participate in the government’s consultation. She noted Bell has been advocating for a joint model for wireless service in the TTC for over a decade, which the company believes is in the public interest.
"Rogers’ proposed framework fails to take into account that the TTC is a public good asset, and wireless connectivity should be available to all riders, at the same time, regardless of their carrier," Michelis said.
Telus spokeswoman Kalene DeBaeremaeker said Rogers has not engaged in serious discussions to provide wireless access to all TTC riders.
"Despite repeated requests, Rogers has yet to even set a date for a meeting to discuss this matter or the framework they proposed," DeBaeremaeker said in an email.
"We are encouraged to see an expedited timeline on the consultation announced today and we remain ready and eager to find a path to delivering the best service for all TTC riders, as quickly as possible."
Quebecor, which owns Freedom Mobile, did not respond to a request for comment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2023.
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